Big Brother Is Watching You

This story ditsurbed the crap out of me. In the wake of the London bombings, many officials, in an attempt to appear to be doing something to help make us safe from terrorism, are calling for increased use of security cameras in subway trains and stations. Despite admissions that the cameras already in place did nothing to stop the bombers in London, these people want to spend millions of dollars so the government can monitor the comings and goings of law abiding citizens.

First, the powers we give government to protect us against what we fear, can also be used against us. And in the current climate there is no one watching the watchers. Assurances that no one would abuse the power given to them sound rather hollow in the face of the prisoner treatment scandals in Iraq and Cuba. Human history has shown that those given power over others will abuse that power unless they are subject to public scrutiny.

Second, any feeling of safety we may get from having these "security" measures in place is just an illusion. You cannot stop a group who have enough members willing to trade their lives for yours.

Third, the terrorists are able to recruit people to carry out these deeds because they have legitimate complaints against the countries in question. While I deplore the methods used, you would be naive to think this comes from simple idealogical differences. People in the terrorist's countries suffer everyday because of the policies of the US government. That is why they are able to recruit these people. If we would end the hatred that fuels the terrorist recruiting machine, we need to become the hand that feeds, because you don't bite that.

I say this often, and people tend to scoff, but we are becoming a police state. Not overnight, but slowly, step by step. And we are allowing it to happen because we are afraid. It reminds me of a science experiment I read about a few years ago. If you drop a frog into boiling water, he will immediately jump out. But if you put the frog in cold water and slowly bring it to a boil, he will sit in it until he dies. We are in the pot folks, and the heat is on.